A Fateful Chance — Chapter 56: HOVERING GAZE

After what Dianne discovered hours ago, she decided to call her husband. They have to talk about Priya and what she did. The wounds of the past started to haunt her this time.

She couldn't even believe that Priya isn't the real daughter of her late husband.

She went back to their condominium unit. She knew that her husband returned home after finishing his work hours in their office.

"You need to know something."

"I also want to tell you about Priya." Dianne interrupted him. He looked at her in the eyes and swallowed.

"Priya is not the real daughter of Khalid Reike." Dianne said as she met his gaze, unafraid of the next reaction he will give her.

"What?" It was disbelief and shock at the same time. Andrew ran his fingers through his hair and gently pulled it. He couldn't help but to sit down on a nearby chair as he looked at the other direction.

"My private investigator forwarded this information to me just this morning. Priya's real name is Angela Reynolds."

Dianne started to tell Andrew everything in detail. He just listened and nodded. He even sighed because some facts were just too complicated to handle.

He shook his head as he held her hand.

"Now that you told me about this, I realized that Priya is really the culprit to everything."

"What do you mean?" She gave him a puzzled look this time around.

He swallowed as he looked at her innocent face. Those attractive brown eyes and the feature of his face...as much as possible, he doesn't want her to cry. However, Dianne also deserves to know the truth.

He turned on his laptop and played Dr. McNally' last video confession before he killed himself.

"Oh my god!" Dianne held her mouth as she wailed as she wept. She couldn't stop her tears from falling as Andrew hugged her tight. Dianne couldn't help but burst into tears. She knew Dr. Rhimes in person and it's the lost of the Reike family now that he's gone.

"I don't know what to say...it's…" She said between sobs. As Andrew held her, she started to feel dizzy and everything just went blank.

She opened her eyes and she could see everything was covered with light. She looked around and she could see a man facing his back on her, all dressed in white in a faraway distance.

"Khalid! Love! Can you hear me?" She shouted as loud as she could when she realized that it was Khalid. The man turned at her and smiled. He waved happily as if saying his last goodbyes.

"Khalid! Please!"

"Dianne? Dianne, please wake up…" She could feel that someone was shaking her as she opened her eyes all of a sudden. It was then that she realized that it was all a dream. An almost vivid dream that showed how Khalid wanted her to let go of everything and move on. It's like he's telling her to move on and heal from past experiences.

As she looked into the eyes of the one in front of her, it was Andrew who was trying to wake her up.

"You are shouting a man's name while closing your eyes. I was too worried I am trying to wake you up." She hugged him tight that stopped him from explaining further.

She finds herself crying again as she grasps Andrew's hands. This was the truth that is even hard for her to accept. Now, it was clear to her that Priya was really the prime suspect. She strongly believed that she could do it to him easily since they are not even blood-related.

"I am really sorry, Andrew. I am sorry for not telling you everything about me."

"It was understandable since you're an icon."

She slowly got up as she stretched both of her feet on the bed. Andrew caressed her hair down to her rosy cheek.

"Khalid Reike was my former husband. That's why I got Priya and Denysse as my two stepdaughters even if they were almost my age."

Andrew just listened to her quietly. This is the moment that he's been waiting for. Now that she is starting to confess everything, all she needs to do is to listen to her. She paused for a while as she looked into his eyes.

"Because I personally wanted to keep everything private, Khalid agreed that our relationship will be kept lowkey as much as possible. Everybody knew that Khalid got a new wife but he never let the press know everything about me before I gave birth to my baby."

"Your baby? What do you mean?"

"I was pregnant before I met Khalid, Andrew."

He looked at Dianne as if trying to study her facial expression.

"Can't you not really remember me, Andrew?"

"Dianne...why would I remember you? What do you mean?"

"I am Dianne Swiss because I got a new name for myself to protect my family and my baby. If I use my old name, I know everything will be messed up."

He gave her a puzzled look.

"I don't understand…" He replied, feeling anxious all of a sudden. He suddenly felt like this mind game will kill him any time starting from this moment.

"Do you, perhaps, know Deandra Klay?"

He felt silent all of a sudden. All the memories with her started to recall in his mind again, on how they met, how they became friends, even close friends. Until something happened that night that changed everything. She walked away without a trace. He searched for her somewhere but she couldn't find her.

He was even forced by his parents to transfer schools far from where they lived because of his father's business. As a good son, he obliged without questioning their decisions.

She told him that she even sent him a letter telling him she's pregnant, and he's the father. Andrew realized that the reason why he transferred school was because of his mother. His mother did read the whole thing without informing him. His parents were the ones who decided to bring him to a faraway place so that the girl who sent him the letter will not know where they will live if they transfer location.

"I am glad that even destiny brought us together. I realized that I would never love anyone as much as I love you."

Dianne hugged him tight as she cried, this time, with tears of joy. Finally, her family will be complete this time. It was a revenge-turned-forgiveness and love. At the end of the day, all Dianne wanted is to have a complete family of her own. After so many years of living in regrets and hatred.

"I couldn't wait to hug my baby boy." Dianne smiled but a phone call interrupted them all of a sudden.

"Ma'am?"

"Hello, Lilian. What is it?"

"Madam, Walter is not yet home."

----

"What?!" Dianne and Andrew looked at each other.

"Madam, I called Denysse and she told me that Priya will be accompanying Walter back home but it's been almost five hours since then."

"Did you call Priya? What did she say?"

"She's out of reach, madam. That's why I am calling you right now because I am a bit worried."

"What the fuck?" Dianne started to cry again as Andrew held his hands.

"From what she's doing, she will be facing a lot of charges for this. I will make sure she will rot in jail!" Dianne added as she started to panic that Andrew pulled her close and hugged her tight.

Andrew instructed Lilian to call the police as soon as possible. They have to search for all possible locations where Priya would flee with Walter.

"Andrew, please help me...I already lost Khalid, I don't want to lose my baby this time."

"Please don't be scared, everything is well taken-cared of." He caressed her back as she rested her head on his shoulders.